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About nwsquid

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I do a couple tournaments every year, 6-12 games a weekend, like the OP. My typical experience is that you may have an idiot in pool play who has to be tossed. Often times those guys will come back later in the weekend and be nice. They just have to test the limits of the umpiring and see what they are dealing with (or they are just too green to know better). Those are the kinds of ejections that result in apologies at future plate meetings and no future issues.
Then there are the guys who are jerks in pool play, but don't typically say enough to get tossed Thursday or Friday. Then the bracket play begins and they are usually tossed for boiling over on Saturday. By Sunday my experience is that 90% of the teams remaining (i.e. most years all the teams still playing) are class acts and the semi's and championship game are a pleasure to do with very good baseball and even better manners.

Good night sally. Who cares what body part of the runner is touched? Sorry for the confusion. Yes, mstaylor, fielder's body part. Assuming the ball is in the correct hand, I am probably giving them an out if they tag the runner with the forearm (but only the 1/2 far from the elbow). I'm fairly certain I have zero rules to hang my hat on, it just seems like the expected call and least dung-ridden end of the stick.
Correctly, or incorrectly the only correlation I can come up with is a bull-dog w/no tag at home plate. In which there is no tag applied, but the catcher holds onto the ball, and tradition dictates to bang the out. Admittedly apples to oranges, but there it is.

To push this thread a little further...how far up the hand would you presumably allow a runner to be tagged and get an out. Wrist...forearm...elbow? Does that change on a cloud of dust play vs a swipe/run by tag?

Names changed.
From:nwsquid
To:Assignor
Subject:Ejection Report
I ejected the Head Coach (Bob Johnson) of the Giants in the bottom of the 6th inning tonight.
In the 6pm U14 game between the Bandits and Giants, Bob Johnson was ejected for persistent arguing of balls and strikes. Bob was warned about persistent arguing of a balk call in the top of the 2nd. He was warned about persistent arguing of balls and strikes in the bottom of the 5th, and was ejected for the same arguing in the bottom of the 6th. He immediately left sight and sound of the field, and only had the following to say on his way off the field. "Thanks, it is about time. Those are terrible calls. This game is too big for you. I am going to have all my games at [other fields in town] so I don't have guys like you." The Bandits went on to win the game 12 to 3.
[End of message]
It was about 55 degrees during the game, last night...so I was cold even with my jacket I went into the game with the mantra don't squeeze the top (I had that problem in the U10 and U12 earlier in the week). Had I left everything else the same and moved the top down one or two balls I'd have heard much less chirping, but didn't want to adjust mid-game. Life goes on I suppose. I did have a big (consistent) zone, but they ARE 14 (nipples to one ball below knees, and a ball on each side) 15 runs were scored so it couldn't have been too hard to get a hit Both field supervisor and assignor immediately noted he is a hot head, who always complains. I figured I better give him plenty of rope. Guess I could have dumped him in the 5th. We had the bandits for game #2 of the night at 8pm and my partner had a postage stamp zone Zzzzzzz I work 80% of my games at the "other fields" in town as they are the same organization/assignor.

I see the quote in my above post, but maybe I botched it somehow.
It was a post you made in this thread:
http://umpire-empire...8597#entry88597
I got the majority of my chuckles when you wanted to remind your assignors about NOT doing 60' ball. Then, 5-6 weeks later, you got roped into it because you had the itch to get on the diamond.
I think it's easy to get down on yourself doing this type of ball, at least for me it is. No matter how hard you try, there are going to be people yelling about Smitty doing a better job, with his made up mechanics/rules, and being everyone's friend during the game.
That said, it makes me feel a little bit better when I read a big dog's account of the bizzaro-world that non-shaving ball can be.
Glad to hear you haven't lost the touch for good. :)

I call non-shaving (U10-U14) USSSA ball in the sticks of KC, and enjoyed the story. I have never been to 3&2, but have heard mixed reviews of the umpires...like any non-shaving complex. I think it's like any other sport, the older they get, the easier it gets. The plays made may be faster, but they are a lot more vanilla. All kinds of third world plays in kiddie-ball.
I go back and forth on strike zone, do I call anything I can get or do I use the traditional method of perception, catcher's ability, etc. With U10 ball like this, you just have to try to make them groan on strike calls instead of ball calls. Get all the strikes you can.
Man I'd love to move up in level to JV summer ball, legion, etc. 15 years of kiddie ball (half worked when i was a kid myself) are starting to wear me down, and I always wondered how well I'd do at the next level (everyone has a next level...mine just happens to be shaving age).
Funny thing, I found this quote when checking out your profile MajorDave:

On a throw to a base other than home the BR can freeze (and be protected) and be fine. On a throw to home he has to get out of the way (he is not protected). Paraphrasing Carl Childress
Two out, batter is out. Less than two outs, runner is out.